Wednesday 14th February, St. Valentines Night, 8pm
50mins Performance, Free Admission

Listen to the performance (Streaming RealMedia Format)

Underground Alternative to Valentine’s Night

Temple Bar Gallery and Studios in association with the artist Matt Stokes and Christ Church Cathedral present Sacred Selections, a live pipe organ recital featuring experimental transcriptions of underground music on Wednesday 14th February 2007, 8pm.

Sacred Selections is a free, once-off Dublin performance by organist Paul Ayres from St. George’s Church, Hanover Square, London within the sublime setting of Christ Church Cathedral. For those bored with the usual saccharine Valentine’s fare Sacred Selections offers a taste of the subversive and the unusual!

Specifically, Paul Ayres performs Happy Hardcore tunes as recognisable and playable music on a pipe organ. With its mix of celebratory, uplifting tunes based around hectic breakbeats and rapid pace, Happy Hardcore creates an infectious energy that harks back to the golden era of UK rave. The eclectic choice of anathemic tracks performed at Sacred Selections has been selected by one of Hardcore’s most renowned dj/producers and span a decade.

Sacred Selections is ancillary to Lost in the Rhythm, the solo exhibition by British artist Matt Stokes at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios until February 24th 2007. Music subcultures have been central to the development of Stokes’s recent projects; his practice focuses on music’s propensity to influence and affect the way people live. The Sacred Selections project considers historical aspects of the organ, its influence, music and position within both ecclesiastical and secular settings. Additionally, each recital is preceded by a brief history or comments by fans about the original track.

‘Sacred Selections’ is free admission and no booking required.

Happy Hardcore
Music selected by: DJ Sy (Quosh Records)
Transcribed for the organ by: John Riley ( St Paul 's & St George's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh )
Performed by: Paul Ayres ( St George's Church, Hanover Square , London )

“Shooting Star” ... ... ... ... ... Bang
“Midnight Express” ... ... ... Hopscotch
“Braveheart” ... ... ... Joining of the Clans
“Stay With Me” ... ... ... ... Sy & Demo
“Power Of Love”... ... ... ... ... Q-Tex
“Heart Of Gold”... ... ... Force and Styles

The Cathedral's Grand Organ was designed and built in 1984 by Kenneth Jones and Associates of Bray, County Wicklow . Its placement in the north transept ensures the sound is projected throughout the building, and allows the soaring oak casework to be visible from the nave. The specification comprises 2482 pipes and 39 speaking stops spread over 3 manuals and pedals, with an elegant console inlaid with precious woods. When constructed, the instrument was voiced entirely in the Cathedral, a process that took some three and a half months to complete.The cohesiveness and eclecticism of its design, renders the organ capable of presenting the compositions of many periods with musical validity and integrity.

With special thanks to: John Riley, Paul Ayres, Dj Sy, and Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Transciptions supported by: The Royal College of Organists and Dundee Contemporary Arts
A project by: Matt Stokes in association with Temple Bar Gallery and Studios

For further information or images for press
please contact claire@templebargallery.com or tel. 671 0073.